The future tense - Easy Learning Grammar German

What is the future tense?The future tense is a verb tense used to talk about something that will happen or will be true.

1Using the future tense

In English the future tense is often shown by will or its shortened form ’ll.

What will you do?The weather will be warm and dry tomorrow.He’ll be here soon.I’ll give you a call.

Just as in English, you can use the present tense in German to refer to something that is going to happen in the future.

Wir fahren nächstes Jahr nach Griechenland.

We’re going to Greece next year.

Ich nehme den letzten Zug heute Abend.

I’m taking the last train tonight.

The future tense IS used however to:

emphasize the future

Das werde ich erst nächstes Jahrmachen können.

I won’t be able to do that until next year.

express doubt or suppose something about the future

Wenn sie zurückkommt,wird sie mir bestimmt helfen.

I’m sure she’ll help me when she returns.

In English we often use going to followed by an infinitive to talk about something that will happen in the immediate future. You CANNOT use the German verb gehen (meaning to go) followed by an infinitive in the same way. Instead, you use either the present or the future tense.

Das wirst du bereuen.

You’re going to regret that.

Wenn er sich nicht beeilt, verpasst er den Zug.

He’s going to miss the train if he doesn’t hurry up.

2Forming the future tense

The future tense has TWO parts to it and is formed in the same way for all verbs, be they weak, strong or mixed:

the present tense of the strong verb werden (meaning to become), which acts as an auxiliary verb like haben and sein in the perfect tense

Pronoun

Ending

Present Tense

Meanings

ich

-e

ich werde

I become

du

-st

du wirst

you become

ersiees

–

er wirdsie wirdes wird

he/she/it becomes

wir

-en

wir werden

we become

ihr

-t

ihr werdet

you (plural) become

sie

Sie

-en

-en

sie werden

Sie werden

they become

you (polite) become

the infinitive of the main verb, which normally goes at the end of the clause or sentence.

Pronoun

Present Tense of werden

Infinitive of Main Verb

Meanings

ich

werde

holen

I will fetch

du

wirst

holen

you will fetch

ersiees

wird

holen

he/she/it will fetch

wir

werden

holen

we will fetch

ihr

werdet

holen

you (plural) will fetch

sie

Sie

werden

holen

they will fetch

you (polite) will fetch

Morgen werde ich mein Fahrrad holen.

I’ll fetch my bike tomorrow.

Sie wird dir meine Adresse geben.

She’ll give you my address.

Wir werden draußen warten.

We’ll wait outside.

Note that in reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun comes after the present tense of werden.

Ich werde mich nächste Wochevorbereiten.

I’ll prepare next week.

Key points

You can use a present tense in German to talk about something that will happen or be true in the future, just as in English.

The future tense is formed from the present tense of werden and the infinitive of the main verb.

You CANNOT use gehen with an infinitive to refer to things that will happen in the immediate future.

The future tense is used to emphasize the future and express doubt or suppose something about the future.